What a gorgeous shop! Situated in one of the more run down arcades in Leeds, Upstaged Vintage is a…read morewelcome addition to the thriving vintage scene. The thing that makes this one distinctive for me, is I could tell that the owners are very selective when buying stock. In many vintage shops, it seems evident that a large order has been delivered from wholesalers, and it doesn't always seem completely genuine. There is an old-fashioned, celebratory feel on entering the family run local business. With bunting and fairy lights decorating the place, and an iconic washing line hanging from the ceiling displaying 50's style lingerie, it feels special. I can't speak highly enough of the pieces on sale. The faux fur coats and numerous jackets are absolutely stunning. I tried on a classic pilots waistcoat and jacket. Complete with gold buttons and a stripe on the cuffs, it was beautifully tailored to fit a women. Collections of tea dresses and evening gowns from the 1930's to the 1980's adorn the interior. There is an interesting shoe section of the shop, with some truly unique pairs on show. Upstairs, there are further delights in store. It is a burlesque pin-up boutique; filled with a wide range of corsets, gloves, burlesque accessories and pin-up style lingerie. Dita Von Teese would be in her element. The woman running the shop was absolutely lovely, she was patient and attentive whilst I dithered over what to try on. There is a men's section of the shop and they also sell goods online. Although Upstaged Vintage is not in an obvious location, the treasure you uncover when discovering it, is reward in itself.

Who would have thought that tucked away in the Grand Arcade was a shop that is some kind of vintage…read moreheaven? No, not me, and so imagine my surprise to nip in the other day and discover it?! According to the guys in there people often say that they had no idea that it existed, which is really quite shameful, since it has been here for over a year! Imagine that. And all the delights that I have missed. The ground level shop space has two changing rooms, which you will need, and all the glorious vintage items that you could possibly wish for. There are beautiful eighties puffed sleeved dresses, glorious gorgeous full length coats - one in particular which was absolutely divine but sadly a size wrong for me. They also have some beautiful classy hats, gloves, scarves, shirts - you name it. It's hard to actually describe the amount of beauty within, you really must go and see it for yourself. The people in there are lovely, friendly and vintage fans themselves so you won't be short on advice either! Prices are ranging, but considering they are selling high end clothing for a fraction of the original price I would call it bargainous - investment pieces. The upstairs section also deserves a special mention in its own right. Set out as a burlesque boutique it has a number of beautiful items especially collected for ladies who perform burlesque acts. There are fitted corsets galore, of the finest quality, in a range of sizes. I couldn't sing louder about such a cool and exciting place to shop. It's beyond fancy dress in every sense of the word 'fancy', it is divine! You absolutely must visit, if only for a browse.

This secret haven of bargains is yet another hidden spot that I would have never unearthed had it…read morenot been for Yelp. And, I'm glad I found it -since it really is out of the way. Basically, the chances of me randomly wandering about Mabgate (or there abouts) and stumbling upon it are zero, truth be told. Don't let that put you off finding it too though, it's dead easy to get to. Go through the car park behind the West Yorkshire Playhouse, and cross over the bridge. Turn right up the road and it's there in a minute. As you walk in you'll be confronted by a sea of knick-knacks, furniture, bric a brac. It's not tidy, it's not overly organised, but it's full and it's a proper treasure hunt. In some ways, it's similar to Poverty Aid -a huge space filled with a range of things, tons of antique cheap furniture, from wardrobes to chests to beds. There was even a piano and an old school writing desk, cheaper than you'd expect to pay as well. After all, it's still a charity shop, which means bargains are abound. The clothing section was a jumble, pretty messy, but that's where your inner explorer comes in. Seek and ye shall find, etc. I did come across a mental pair of home made harim pants, in the most bodacious blue ever, but even at a single English pound I wasn't sure I was cool enough to pull them off. There's a wee cafe too, if you need a caffeine break, and tons of literature on other local charities, events, and what Emmaus get up to to keep you clued in. Bonza. Basically, it'll always depend on what you're after as to whether you'll succeed in a shopping mission. But, it's well worth a right rummage for all you bargain hunters, treasure seekers, vintage magpies and so on. Take a wee wander, and have a look. Who knows what wonders you might find!

Emmaus is a total gem, if you manage to come across it. It is tucked away on the edge of town near…read morethe West Yorkshire Playhouse and Quarry Hill, in the kind of place that you wouldn't really go wandering around for fun unless you had a reason. Make that reason Emmaus. It is a charity shop with a difference because it is also a community that helps homeless people out of homelessness. I fist heard about it on Radio 4 a couple of years ago and decided to see if there was one in Leeds. It was set up in France in the 1940s and is now a worldwide organisation. People in the community renovate and resell furniture to develop theirs skills and help them out of homelessness. The shop part of the community in Leeds is pretty large. Most of this is dedicated to second hand furniture but there are also clothes, brick a brack and a book area around a cafe where you can get cakes and very cheap meals. It is possible to donate to Emmaus and it is definitely a worthy cause or you can support the cause by visiting the shop. I believe there is also a small branch in Leeds City Market.

I thought I'd give this five stars because as charity shops go it really is a great shop. It is…read morevery large for a charity shop and has a good range of stock. In the foyer area there are women's clothes, accessories, shoes and jewellery. The main room houses men's clothes, shoes, children's toys and clothes and a large range of crockery, home ware and other bits and bobs. I found many a cute vintage-style china ornament, some lovely jewellery and two pairs of shoes I liked - in most charity shops I find none! The products were mainly of very high quality and you got the impression the staff, who seemed lovely, really take pride in their shop. The beautiful old historic-looking building and large easily visible signage also gives the shop bonus points.

Everyone must have heard of the good old Salvation Army. They are a church and a registered charity…read morethat have been running for nearly 50 years. Now working in over 117 countries worldwide, with over 1.6 million members they have grown immensely and are providing huge support for those who need it. They run programmes helping places such as drug rehabilitation centres, schools, hospitals, community centres and medical centres. Their shops are like any other charity shop, raising that extra bit of cash towards their cause. They are full of random bits and bobs and somewhere you are bound to find something you could do with, and usually for very cheap. I love charity shopping and will be returning to this place in the New Year.

Wow, what a random charity shop! I wandered in, having enjoyed a bit of a look at the appliances…read moreshop nearby, and then decided I needed some bargain retail therapy to wash off the very grown up browse I'd been having. I nipped in here, expecting the usual charity shop smell accompanied by some happy big label bargains, and was confronted by some rather odd stock. It seems, if you are a dolls house collector, then this is your ideal store. They had a huge fixture dedicated entirely to dolls house items - mini sofas, household objects, decorative bits, chairs - all that kind of thing. It was so strange. Why specifically dolls house items? Is that stuff so high in demand in Crossgates? Who can say. But now you know where to go, should you be looking for that sort of gubbins. As well as that, there was all the usual type of lark going on, clothes, toys, games, VHS, DVDs, hats and more. It seemed to be a bit of a hang out for the over 80s, given the volume of older people meeting and greeting as I browsed. It's not just that they were all of that age, but they seemed to know each other too! Perhaps it's how they get their funzies nowadays. Good times! A very cute and quirky little experience I had there, in this sweet little charity shop.

Though relatively small, this charity shops makes the most of the space, making use of every nook…read moreand cranny to store a wide range of quality products. The shop is well lit and the products appear more varied and interesting than in most charity shops. They have a wide selection of shoes neatly displayed and a large range of quality handbags. They are also very well stocked for trousers and jeans and sell a range of new jewellery that is brightly-coloured, chunky and fun. I bought one of my favourite dresses here a while ago for £9.00 when they used to have an interesting vintagey section at the back with corresponding higher prices...but this section appears to have vanished - I wish they would bring it back! Overall this British Heart Foundation is a quality charity shop and well worth a visit!

There is something about charity shops that makes me feel good. I'm not sure whether it's the…read morebargains, or the pleasure in seeing stuff being given a new life, it might be just that it enables me to feel good about myself..... BHF is one of my regular charities so i try to call in and have a browse rarely leaving without treasure, this branch always has a good selection and the staff seem very pleasant.

This lovely ladies-wear shop situated just five minutes or so from the Cross Gates arcade shopping…read morecentre. I discovered it on a recent outing to Cross Gates, having heard about the arcade here I decided to check it out. I had some time to wander around and so stumbled across this little store. As soon as I wandered in I realised that the clothes weren't particularly suited to me, but this isn't a criticism. It's just that the fashion inside is very much suited to a more mature lady. They had some lovely dresses and jackets to make up the perfect 'mother-of-the-bride' style outfits, all priced in the region of £150, and lots of accessories. They had some Radley bags, lovely knit cardigans, little shrugs, vintage rose style clutch purses and much more! There was even a very reasonable £10 and under sale rack which had quite a lot of items on it. One of the best bits about this lovely shop however is the welcome. As soon as I wandered in the two ladies who were serving greeted me with some really friendly banter - one of the ladies asked me about my camera which was hanging from my neck. She asked me what I liked to photograph and so I told her I liked taking portraits, to which she responded - "I've a friend who likes photographing the ups vans." I smiled, not knowing what 'ups' was, and she explained - "You know, the parcel delivery guys - ups vans!" I smiled, getting it and said, "Oh! You mean the UPS vans! I see. How strange!" She agreed with the classic - "Well, you know what they say, there's nowt as queer as folk!" And we had a right laugh about her friend and her ups/UPS obsession. They didn't once go for any kind of hard sell, it was completely relaxed and friendly, and a totally lovely experience. I didn't buy anything, of course, but I shall certainly be recommending it to any friends/colleagues who are in need of something nice and occasional. Lovely!

I 1st visited Joans's last year, when searching for an outfit for a special party. Although I…read morefound many of the items in the shop over my budget, I managed to find 1 dress which was reduced to just £20. I am very conscious about my 'slightly larger' size so didn't feel too confident about buying however, both my sister who was with me at the time & the assistant commented it really suited me. I bought the dress (a very ritzy style) as I love glamourous dressing!. at the party I received so many positive comments on how amazing I looked. That was the 1st time for years I have worn a dress so 'thank you' Joan's for boosting my confidence. It will now be my regular shop when I am in need of a special outfit. I have actually seen another dress there this week, for a very bargain price of £10!!! I am aiming to go back for it.

You know me. I can't help it, I get drawn in. Having perused the readymades for sometime I…read moreeventually went back in and purchased one of my very own. (And promptly forgot to update my review.) I'd been eyeing up their wrap around skirts for a while, and finally got to the point where I wanted to try one on. They've two basic dressing rooms, and after a bit of jiggling I came out in search of some advice -I was shopping solo, so asked the chap at the shop. He let me know that it was the other chap who'd made the skirt, so called him down to give me an idea of how to wear it. This was the best idea ever, since it turns out there are several ways. As it has poppers in various positions, it can doubly wrap as a shorter skirt, wrap low and loose as a more boho style, or wrap gathering at the back in an almost Victorian manner. I was delighted! And since I wear it so often, it was £60 or so well spent. As for the rest of the shop, it's still very jumble esque, and you really have to rummage for the gems. I can't say I'm as enamoured of the selection as some of my other favourite vintage haunts, but that's mostly as I'm more into dresses and what they've in abundance is 80s stone wash jeans, cool t-shirts, checked shirts, chunky knits, faux fur and a variety of other garments. It's not likely I'll be drawn in for the flotsum and jetsum, but for the quality independently designed pieces in their Redneck Clothing section, I shall certainly revisit. Plus, the customer service was fantastic - all you need do is ask!

I stumbled across Pop Boutique after visiting the haberdashery right next to it. I was surprised to…read moresay the least. Cute little woollen skirts and check shirts seemed to be the running trend. Along with lots of lurex and sparkles! A lot of the clothes here are recycled, hence their motto - recyclable fashion! The fitting rooms are plastered with cool band photos and pin ups advertising burlesque evenings. I bought a shirt and a skirt from here and can't wait to wear them. Different and affordable with lovely, polite staff. 5 stars from me!

Pop Boutique is one of that strange breed of shop that seems to market itself as a 'vintage' yet…read morestocks entirely new clothing, cut from new textiles in designs vaguely inspired by vintage clothing. There are a few genuine vintage finds in here, but they seem to be getting fewer and farther between as the stock leans more and more towards the new. Put aside any qualms over the label 'vintage', however, and you'll find that Pop Boutique is a fine addition to the pile of central Leeds clothes shops, and while its cute tea dresses and floral skirts may not be originals from the 1950s they're still different - and cheaper - than anything you might find on the high street.

West Yorkshire Jewellers is a rather large jewellers situated along the main shopping road in front…read moreof the Crossgates shopping centre. From the signage and design I assumed that this might not necessarily be the kind of jewellers for me, but then that was somewhat of a flip judgement. On closer inspection there was plenty there to entice me inside for a quick browse! Cleverly, they had a lot of the second hand deals on display on the outside window. Loads of vintage-looking rings with beautiful stones, all for between £50 and £100, stared out at me temptingly. Most especially pleasing were the garnets, but then that's my personal taste! Along to the other window display I went and saw a lot of items that were perhaps a little more contemporary, sovereign rings and large hoops etc, which although reasonably priced were of less interest to me. Inside they had their more high end collections, displays of some really lovely contemporary items by Fiorelli, Silverline, Fluid and more. They had those ever popular charm pieces too, which don't really pique my interest, but I know a lot of people who buy into them. Interestingly enough, I spotted some 'dog-tag' necklaces for £47, which I thought bizarre and there was also a large range of watches, clocks and timepieces on display too. All in all, a pretty all inclusive range of jewellery, with truly something for everyone! Not bad.